1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates, in general, to electromechanical devices and, more specifically, to supporting arrangements for stator coil conductors.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The stator winding of a turbine generator includes coils which consist of top and bottom conductors that extend through slots in the stator iron core and project into the end regions of the generator. After leaving the stator iron core, the top and bottom conductors cross each other at an angle for the purpose of allowing the conductor ends to obtain a different tangential position for interconnection between the top and bottom conductors. Such a connection is generally known as a series connection and interconnects the strands of top and bottom conductors at the axially outermost position of the stator winding structure. At this interconnection position or region, the top and bottom conductors are formed to extend axially parallel to each other to facilitate interconnection between the strands of the conductors.
Since this interconnecting region is located at the outermost portion of the stator winding, considerable vibration and deformation of the copper strands of the conductors is caused by the electromagnetic effects of the current in the conductors. This is undesirable since excessive movement in this region may separate the copper strands of the conductors from the cooling vent tubes which may be interposed with the copper strands, cause fatigue failure of the strands, and cause abrasion of the copper strands due to loose insulating separators between transposition groups of the series connection. Therefore, it is important for proper turbine generator construction to provide adequate supporting means for the conductors of the stator winding in the region where the series connections between the conductors exist.
According to one prior art arrangement, insulating blocks are placed between all of the series connections around the stator winding and secured individually to each pair of conductors connected together by the series connection. Other insulating blocks are positioned between a group of interconnections which form a phase group within the stator winding structure. Similarly, the phase group separating blocks are connected directly to the adjacent conductor and series connections. Such an arrangement is useful in reducing the vibration and deformation of the components located in the region of the series connections of the stator winding, but the type of construction provided thereby cannot easily produce a winding supporting structure which tightly holds the separating blocks between the series connections throughout the life of the machine. Therefore, it is desirable, and it is an object of this invention, to provide an arrangement for securing the stator winding structure, in the region of the series connections, in such a manner that vibrational movement in this region is minimized throughout the life of the machine.